


after the darkness passes by

by lethargicProfessor



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Gen, Manga Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 01:30:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13260771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lethargicProfessor/pseuds/lethargicProfessor
Summary: "Do you have nightmares too?""All the time."-Lenalee finds Timothy standing outside Allen’s old room.





	after the darkness passes by

Lenalee finds Timothy standing outside Allen’s old room, blanket tucked around his shoulders. In the dim light, he seems confused, brow furrowed like he isn’t quite sure how he got there, but seemingly unable or unwilling to leave.

“Tim,” she whispers, smiling guiltily when he jumps, and holds her hand out. “Come on.”

He heaves a sigh but complies, footsteps soft against the stone as his small hand finds its way into hers. He holds the blanket close with his other hand, gathered under his chin with a weariness unbecoming to someone so young.

(Lenalee remembers the feeling well.)

She squeezes his hand and leads him down the hall, past empty rooms: Bookman’s and Lavi’s and the one General Cross borrowed from time to time. She skirts around the hallway that belonged to the Thirds, and fights the bitter taste in her tongue as they leave the dead behind.

Timothy sniffs, but says nothing, following her dutifully through the darkened halls.

They stop at a crossroads, and Lenalee glances down. “Do you want some tea before bed?”

Timothy shakes his head, and she can see him fighting the sleep clinging to his eyelids, stubborn nine year old through and through. “Are you taking me to Emilia?” He asks instead, sulking but resigned. 

“Not unless you want me to.” Timothy shakes his head, shifting his grip on the blanket. “Then no.”

They resume their trek through the quiet halls, padding past silent guards, until Lenalee pushes her door open. 

“This is your room?” Timothy asks, blanket slipping down his shoulders as he takes in the stark interior of the room. There’s a few boxes tucked under her desk, but besides that, only the rumpled bed shows any sign of life.

“One of them. Brother had another one decorated for me but….” Lenalee clears her throat, shutting the door carefully. 

Timothy makes a soft sound of acknowledgement, dragging his blanket onto the bed and splaying out across it. Lenalee allows it, squeezing in beside him, and pulls the blankets up around them as best as Timothy allows. 

They settle into a comfortable silence, Timothy rolling onto his side to stare at the wall. With the soft moonlight pouring in, Lenalee can barely see the stain where the crucifix used to be. 

“Do you have nightmares too?” Timothy asks, rolling over once again to face her, dragging half of the blankets around him. 

Lenalee smiles fondly, tucking the edge around him. “All the time.”

“How do you make them go away?” Timothy prods, closing his eyes when Lenalee’s fingers begin carding through his hair. “How do you stop being afraid?”

The words are heavy on Lenalee’s tongue, and she fights the urge to tell him the truth.  _The fear never goes away._

But he is still young, still has a hope Lenalee misses, and she couldn’t possibly do that to him. Not yet. Not when the night is dark and the cold pricks at them from beyond the safety of her bed. Allen wouldn’t tell him – he was good about that, lying when it was needed, giving comfort even when he was falling apart. 

What would Allen say? 

“Family,” she says instead, and sees the way his face drops. “We’re all family, Timothy. We take care of each other. If you’re ever afraid, you go to your family. We’ll keep you safe.”

Lenalee imagines the questions swirling in his head – What about the Thirds? And Bookman and Lavi? And Chaoji, who was bedridden for months? Who took care of Allen when the Noahs came? 

Timothy, with more self control than she had at his age, nods and burrows into the pillows. Lenalee relaxes, letting the warmth lull her back to sleep, before Timothy pipes up again. “I’ll keep you safe too.”

Sleep comes easily now, despite Timothy’s soft snoring and squirming around the bed. The nightmares are kept at bay, just this night, but Lenalee couldn’t be more thankful.

(She dreams instead of her family, of a dinner with Allen and Kanda and Lavi and Timothy, laughing about nonsense, and prays to whoever is listening that she sees them again soon.)


End file.
